Disclaimer: I Don't Own Harry Potter; JK does

Author's Note: Updated on 8/10/13; Just made a few tweaks and made it longer.

Daphne Laurel Greengrass sat there on the emerald green couch across from her parents, the shock at what they just uttered evident in her young, teenage face. She and her sister Astoria had just returned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a few weeks ago. It was a very incredible year. They hosted the Triwizard Tournament and won the Triwizard Cup. Sadly however, it all ended in tragedy when Cedric Diggory, the first Hogwarts Champion, was killed in the Third Task. It was a confusing affair, what with Potter portkeying before the three schools with Cedric's dead body, practically screaming that You-Know-Who had returned. It was a lot to take in...

Her parents were continuing to speak to her, but she was only taking in bits and pieces. She was almost certain that this was too cruel to be real...that it was just some type of sick nightmare. As she gazed at them, it was as if they were moving there mouths, but no sounds were coming out, as if someone had cast a silencing charm on them.

When they finished, there was a very long, very awkward silence amongst the parents and their eldest child.

It was finally broken by Daphne.

"WHAT!?," she yelled in a shocked voice. They were in her father's study in Greengrass Manor, so there was almost zero chance Daphne's siblings would have heard her shouts. Privacy and secrecy were coveted things in Pureblooded society and the Greengrasses were no exceptions. This room was where her father, a politician and business man, had done the majority of his business deals. He preferred to keep things quiet so the room was heavily protected by silencing charms and a notice-me-not charm on the door. 'I knew this was serious, Daddy never calls any of his children unless there was a serious issue to discuss, but I never expected I'd be told this.'

"Daphne, darling, you are engaged to be married ..." repeated her mother, once again revealing the skeleton in the families' closet.

At this Daphne tried to remain calm and not lose her temper, but it was extremely difficult.

"by the end of the summer," she finished.

There was no stopping it now.

A surge of hot, fiery anger began to pulse threw the Slytherin Ice Queen's veins. 'How dare they?!' she thought.

"THAT IS ALMOST LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I AM YOUR DAUGHTER AND YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN'T BETROTH ME TO ANYONE...THAT IT WAS MY CHOICE!" the Slytherin snarled.

"Daphne," her father said softly, "we did not do this. This was done between my Grandfather and your fiancée's Great-grandparents..."

"WHY DID HE DO THIS TO ME?! I WASN'T EVEN BORN YET! IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE YOU TWO WEREN'T EVEN BORN YET!"

"Well he did," her mother said. The bitterness evident in her voice.

"We weren't by the way," her father added, "your grandfather had just gotten married to your grandmother. I guess he was thinking way too far ahead." His attempt at a joke only made his daughter that more livid. "We don't know why. We've tried to figure it out but it's hard to get answers when they're dead."

Feeling enraged at not even knowing the reason why she was sold off like a common cattle she decided to take a stand. "What if I say no? Then what?" Daphne raged defiantly.

Her mother and father were looking deathly serious now. "Definitely not an option, you'll lose your magic and he his."

This made the Ice Queen pale similar to the shade of the Bloody Baron.

"I could die from that," Daphne replied in a scared whisper. Daphne was no fool. She knew that when a witch or wizard loses their magic, the chances of survival were slim to none. The magical core is tied directly into the life force of a witch or wizard and by ripping out the core, one essentially rips out the life out of themselves. It was an extremely painful way to die. It was similar to cancer for muggles, but there was no treatment. It would be an excruciatingly long and horrible way to lose your life and Daphne had no intention of going out that way.

"Yes, so don't you even dare start thinking that that is an option for you," her mother warned her, pointing her well-manicure finger at her eldest child.

Daphne nodded in temporary defeat. 'This is going to take a lot more that I thought to get out of...' In every argument she'd been in, Daphne would try to maneuver herself in such a way so that she'd weasel herself out of it.

"I am only fifteen! I'm not even of age..." she said in outrage, attempting to try a different angle.

"Well the contract was made almost a century ago. Heirs were usually married off young, but even I will admit not this young. It is most strange," he told her, then trailing off in his thoughts.

Daphne understood this. In the past, it was not unheard of the heirs of the old pureblooded families to be married off at a young age. However, she had never heard of a case where a couple was married while still in school. It was scandalous...humiliating even!

Then a thought occurred in the young blonde's brain. 'What if they'd married me off to some future death eater?!' she thought panicking. 'Just please tell me it wasn't Crabbe or Goyle.' She shivered with disgust at the thought of them being able to violate her. Finally, after taking a deep breath, trying to calm her fears, she asked her question.

"Who?" she asked in a low dangerous voice, her eyes narrowing.

Her parents looked rather nervous now. That was definitely not a good sign.

Seething, Daphne asked "Do you even know who it is? Who's Pureblood trophy wife am I destined to be?!" She demanded, needing to know, she needed her parents to put her mind at ease. Tell her it was someone who'd not be bad...perhaps a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Gryfinndorks were out of the question and almost all Slytherins, save Blaise Zabini and a very few others, were all destined to a life of service to the Dark Lord.

After a couple of moments of a very awkward silence. Finally her father, who was looking rather pale again, spoke up "Your fiancée is the last descendant of the Potter family..."

"Wait, what?" Daphne asked, the blood must not be properly getting to her brain. 'It can't be him, he's a filthy Gryffindor, Dumbledore's Golden Boy' Daphne thought hysterically. She felt as if she was going to pass out.

"Your husband-to-be is Harry Potter." Her father said it quietly, not looking at her.

"You know? The Boy-Who-Lived...the butt of the Ministry's smear campaign...and the Dark Lord's enemy" Daphne's mother added sympathetically to her eldest child. For a moment their was a flicker of fear in her eyes as she brought up the Dark Lord.

The Greengrasses, contrary to popular belief, were not a dark family. They were what could be considered gray or neutral on most issues, preferring to wait the battle out, and side with the victors. They were the epitome of a Slytherin family. Cunning to their very cores.

They also were not foolish. It was obvious Lord Voldemort had returned. Mrs. Greengrass had said it himself that Professor Dumbledore was not a senile old man and wouldn't have supported Potter if he wasn't absolutely sure. He wouldn't have committed political suicide if it wasn't necessary. For Daphne's father, who himself was a member of the Wizengamot and Dumbledore's former colleague, that was all the proof that was needed.

Not to mention, the day after the Dark Lord's rebirth, Lucius Malfoy had stopped by. His message, while not specific was obviously a warning. "The end of Dumbledore's time has come. I should hope that you and your family forsake your neutrality pick the side on their way to victory. Otherwise, as usual, stay out of our way, but the offer's always on the table..." After that Mr. Greengrass told him, while politely, yet coldly to leave. After he did, Daphne's mother had to endure a rant involving the words 'terrorist' and 'death eater thugs.'

Daphne felt scared, which almost never happened to her. Her life was now at risk and it terrified her. She was now a target, her family was now a target and it frightened her to her core.

Feeling a series of emotions beginning to come over her, Daphne felt herself breaking down. "I COULD BE HUMILIATED OR EVEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS, DO YOU EVEN CARE!?" Daphne cried. The tears were beginning to trickling down her face. She was never one to wear her emotions on her sleeve, but now she was feeling very vulnerable. She cupped her face in her hands.

That was when her father stood up and grasped her shoulders, squeezing them slightly.

"Daphne look into my eyes." Daphne looked into her father's blue eyes...her eyes. She looked like her mother in everyway but in her eyes. That was the only physical trait her father had given her. They were her favorite feature about herself. "We love you more than live itself. We have contacted Professor Dumbledore and his ilk, every safety precaution is being taken to ensure you or he does not go into harms way. I promise you, your safety will not be compromised. I swear on my life we'll do everything to protect you."

Her father was in no way similar to Lucius Malfoy, he was an enigma. A Slytherin Pureblood that paid no mind to Pureblood supremacy was a very odd thing these days. Plus he was a family man and wouldn't lie to them if given a choice. The tears on Daphne's face had stopped and he brushed the rest of them off with his thumbs before sitting back down next to his wife.

Feeling reassured by her father's oath, Daphne broke the gaze with her father and decided to take the conversation onto yet another topic.

"He's a Gryffindor and I'm a Slytherin and last time I checked Slytherin is not what one would call a forgiving house...I'll be shunned...ostracized, they will hate me," she said desperately. 'I think I'm gonna be sick,' she thought to herself.

"No one will know, unless you tell them Daphne, but I do advise you tell that Davis girl...she seems like a good friend and could help you if the need arises," her mother told her.

Daphne calmed slightly at the mention of her best friend. They had their own little group within Slytherin House. They weren't like the rest of their House, they didn't subscribe to the Pureblood supremacists or really support the Dark Lord. Of course they kept their opinions to themselves, not wanting any trouble with their housemates. In fact, it was her other friend Blaise Zabini, and Tracy's boyfriend, who dubbed her the 'Ice Queen' do to her cold and occasionally hostile personality and other reasons...

"We'll also need to tell your brother and sister and that is definitely not a discussion Daphne!" her father told her, reacting to Daphne's outraged look. "We're a family and that secret is too big to withhold."

"Do you seriously expect those two to keep there big mouths shut...you know how bad Astoria can be..." Her sister was known to be a troublemaker. There was this one time when she told half the house that Daphne had a crush on Cedric Diggory. This was entirely false and profusely denied by the Ice Queen, but the damage was done. Pansy and Millicent tortured her mercilessly for around a week. Needless to say, Astoria was walking funny for a few days after that.

Daphne's other sibling, her little brother, Jason Theseus Greengrass, wasn't much better. He was to be a first year and they were known to act stupidly, and he might just let something slip. Overall, he was a good kid. He had the ability to be sweet and kind, but he was sneaky and ambitious to his core. 'A fine Slytherin he'll make,' she thought.

"If they say a word, I'll ensure that they never again get the privilege of going back to Hogwarts..."

Shaken from her train of thought by her father's words, Daphne's icy blue eyes widened at that. 'A little bold, but probably necessary.' Her father was quick and harsh in his punishments to his children to ensure they didn't besmirch the family name. 'Death before dishonor or Ante mortem honorantibus,' she thought. That was the family motto and it was followed closely.

So there was no way out of it. She'd tried everything in the book and it all failed her. Daphne just sat their in disbelief. She could find no way out the situation and it was hurting her pride. Continuing the conversation, she said "I'm all out of counterarguments. So there really is no way out of this? I'm going to be with him forever, unless one of us dies." She couldn't help but wonder that he might get killed by the Dark Lord, thus freeing her from him.

"Yes darling, as you know, there are no divorces involving marriage contracts. This is going to happen," said her mother softly. The sympathy was easy to see in her soft, brown eyes.

"If the Dark Lord does kill him, you'd be free, but I don't think when it's all said and done it'll be a secret by then. He may not spare you and I shudder to think what will become of the world if he wins," Mr. Greengrass said seriously.

Daphne and her mother nodded in agreement. They never were Death Eaters, but did sympathize with some things the Pureblooded faction had to say, such as how Muggleborns did tend to pose threats to secrecy and not mix easily in Wizarding society, keeping the traditions up. However, they didn't approve of the methods of using unforgivables or think a full-scale war was the answer to the problem. But now, since their own daughter was the soon-to-be-wife of You-Know-Who's mortal enemy, they now didn't have a choice any longer. Their neutrality was dead. They couldn't stand aside and watch their daughter suffer, through no fault of her own. They had to side with their future son-in-law, Harry Potter, against the Dark Lord. After all, he was family or going to be at least.

"Does he know?" Daphne said in a dull, defeated voice.

"Not yet. He has a hearing tomorrow at the Ministry and I'll try to catch him afterwards," her father said.

"What's it for?" she asked with mild curiosity. 'Perhaps for something stupid, like blowing up his aunt again,' she thought, snorting at her inside joke. It was ignored by her mother and father.

"I don't know, I guess we'll all find out tomorrow," Mr. Greengrass said standing up. "And another thing, I plan on inviting him over for the two of you to get acquainted. It'll be in three days."

The words barely registered with her, she simply didn't care. 'They just think I'm be all 'happily ever after,' like it's a stupid fairytale. Un-bloody likely,' she grumbled to herself silently.

"For what it's worth, we're not that happy about it either, but there's nothing we can do I am afraid, what's done is done," her father finished in a solemn tone.

"We love you very much Daphne and you have our unconditional support, no matter who you marry," her mother finished, standing up as well.

With that her parents kissed her forehead and left her to her thoughts as she gazed out the window into the rainy sky.

Harry James Potter felt like he was on top of the world. 'Cleared of all charges,' he thought. Dumbledore had left in a hurry, before Harry had a chance to speak to him. 'Why's he avoiding me?'

Harry, lost in deep thought, did not notice a man in a black robe approach him slowly, a business-like expression on his face.

"Mr. Potter," a voice said. Harry turned and looked to his right, a bewildered expression on his face. 'Why would a Ministry official want to talk to him,' he wondered to himself. The man to whom the voice belonged seemed rather young and out of place amongst the elderly and ancient Wizengamot members. He had dark brown hair to go with a set of icy blue eyes.

Seeing his future son-in-law's cautious expression he decided to reassure him. "Do not fret young man, I am not one of Minister Fudge's cronies, I'd just like a word. It is urgent that you hear what I have to say." Harry noticed Mr. Weasley eyeing the pair suspiciously and it looked as if he was about to approach them, but he kept back by meeting Harry's eyes which sent the message 'don't worry,' to the Weasley patriarch. To further get his message across, he gave him a reassuring smile and directed his full attention to the man who'd approached him.

"Excuse me...uh...sir. I didn't seem to catch your name?" Harry asked

"I am Cassius Greengrass," the man in the black robe began, extending his hand.

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Harry Potter; let me know what you guys think